In October 2019, Timor-Leste launched its 2nd Licensing Round, making 18 blocks available for bidding, 11 offshore and 7 onshore. Since then, the country had to adjust to the industry arrest that accompanied the 2020 pandemic. ANPM, the national organization responsible for the planning and implementation of the round, was quick to adjust, moving its round online, reducing upfront costs for applying companies and adjusting the round’s timeline.
During the prequalification period, over 14 energy companies applied to become prequalified for the round. Upon receiving the submissions of the prequalification documents, the ANPM team will carry out the evaluation of the documents to assess the technical and financial capabilities of the applicant companies, as well as, legal competence, past projects, and successful local content practices.
What is next for the 2nd Licensing Round?
From January 24th 2022, companies that have successfully prequalified will be able to bid for specific blocks, until March 4th. Following that, ANPM will take a month to analyse and appraise all offers, before announcing the results. After this, the Timor-Leste industry will gather at the 4th Timor-Leste Energy & Mining Summit in June 2022. These developments synergise with the mobility witnessed in the country’s onshore sector, where the Karau well exploration was completed, with Timor Resources currently evaluating the commerciality of the discovery.
Upstream mobility, midstream opportunities
ANPM announced its new midstream plan on October 2021, where small clusters of refineries, LNG plants and downstream projects will be spread across the country’s coastline, following the results of current discovery evaluations onshore and offshore, and new exploration activities in the currently available blocks.
At the same time, this plan creates a lot of opportunities for pipeline companies, consultancies, performance optimization and automation companies, and service providers. The plan helps operators save significant money and reduces barriers for monetization, through an interconnected network of pipelines, connecting to Greater Sunrise and each other, before a large pipeline transfers the gas from the Greater Sunrise field to the upcoming downstream facilities, including a newly planned onshore LNG plant.
ANPM: Direction and action generate industry momentum
In recent years, ANPM has shown initiative and industry understanding time and time again, by moving its promotional operations online during the pandemic, allowing IECs more time for investment decisions, and establishing one of the most competitive fiscal and legal regimes in the region, attracting new partners to the industry, with approximately 15 companies submitting prequalification applications for the Licensing Round, and many service providers entering the country’s market.
Furthermore, ANPM is bringing a new carbon-neutral plan together with the most ambitious CCS project of the region, enabling investors to position their companies as carbon-neutrality driven operators that are shaping the region, assisting IECs to raise capital and reach their carbon-neutrality goals, while protecting the environment, in one package. You can find out more about ANPM's initiatives on their official website: http://www.anpm.tl/